Rotary cutter.



L. B. SHAIVIBLEN.

ROTARY CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED 05010. 1917.

Patented June 4, 1918.

LESTER B. SHAMIBLEN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO M. C. PETERS MILL (10., OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

' ROTARY CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Applicationfiled December 10, 1917. Serial No. 206,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER B. SHAMBLEN, a citizen of, the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Gutters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rotary cutters such as are used in machines for disintegrating or reducing such material as alfalfa-hay, prairie-hay, corn-products, or any like ma terial; also for cutting excelsior, paper, hair, moss, wool, cotton, or similar fibrous material.

The present improvement has direct reference to the cutting mechanism of machines of the character described and is restricted to the mounting of the cutting-knife or blade and to elements co-aoting therewith for reinforcing the same and renewably securing the knife or blade in place. r

Such a machine as I have herein referred to is found in Patent No. 1,013,611, dated January 2, 1912 although the present improvements are not restricted to this-type of machine but are of such a character that they may be used in various types of rotary cutters employing the cutter-headand knife or blade and which knife or blade usually operates in conjunction with a stationary cutter-bar fixed to the frame or casing of the machine and against the edge of. which bar the material is cut or reduced.

An essential object of the present invention is to simplify the construction and make more secure the mounting of the cutting blade, and to provide means whereby the knife or blade may be reinforced at certain points to prolong its life, and to provide for the renewal of a knife blade and its mounting without necessitating the abandonment of the usual spider, to the arms of which the cutting-knife or blade is commonly attached. With the above and other objects in view my invention consists of the parts and the constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts which I will hereinafter de scribe and claim. y In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similarreference characters indicate like parts in the several views; a

Figure 1 is an elevation of a cutter-head embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the spider head, and an inclined cutting-blade, viewed from the bottom.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of a spider head embodying my improvements.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4.

As the present invention relates purely to the mounting of the cutting knife or blade on the arms of the spider, of the usual rotary cutter-head, I have illustrated in the drawings only so much of a cutting-head of the character stated, as will be sufiicient for pres ent purposes, it being understood, however, that the present improvements may be applied to other forms of rotary cutters without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the said drawings the spider is shown as comprising a hub, 10, and a series of outwardly extending and preferably curved arms, 11, the outer ends of each of these arms being widened to form a broad flat seat, 12, for the blade or knife, 13. The widened seat may be parallelwith the axis of the cutterhead or it may be transversely inclined, as shown in the aforesaid prior patent, the inclination thus to be given the blade or knife when arranged on the seat being common to all of the blades or cutters of a particular hub-member of the cutter-head. Whatever the arrangement of the seat, the outer ends of the arms, 11, are so disposed that the blades which they carry will be spaced apart around the circumference of the rotarycutter, either in the manner shown in the aforesaid patent or otherwise, the arrangement being such'that the cutting blades form an efficient cutting medium for anymaterial which is brought into their range of action, it being understood that the cutter-head usually cooperates with a suitable stationary cutter-bar.

The outer enlarged end of each of the arms and which enlarged portion I will hereinafter refer to as a spider-head, is rab-' beted at 14, to receive a supplemental and detachable plate, 15, which plate may besecured in proper position by a screw, 16. or other well known fastening. The side edges of this plate, 15, are provided with upstanding ribs or flanges, 17, between which the outer sides the cutting blade are designed to be slidably fitted. The outer face of the cutting-blade and which blademay be, of the usual construction and provided with a Beveled cutting edge, is slotted and recessed to receive the shank, 18, and head, 19, respectively of the usual securingbolts, which bolts pass through openings in the pla e, and th spi er and r ui t dton-i the underside of said head by nuts, 20, or other devices. The cutter is slotted near both of its sides and practice has shown that at the point iiidiea-ted by the arrow, A, there is a tendency of the blade to break when operation, and to overcome this well recog; niz'e'd defect in existingblades, I provide said plate with the upstanding flanges or lugs alon'ggtheir side edges, said fianges'or lugs havinga height about equal, to. the thickness ofthe clittii gbladeand furnishing an" efficient abutment Q niearisfdr later any reinforcing the cuttingeblade at the point before mehtiofied. Such a plate' reln'ovably secured to the spider head makes it possible for the l'rn i fe or Guttingfb'la'deft have sufficiefit; su figt'h a; stead u unde the heavy duty that is im'posed a e-e a, It is also impossible to make a} straight knife to travel over the usual cutting-bar at angle, so as to maize a shearing out without the employment of somesuch plate asI have described. In other words, the linife oroutting bladewouid have to' be rria'de much wider in which case I would be compelled to run the knife over a cutting bar setting straighti p M It will'n'oted that theplate', I5, is fa'stened to the spider head with th' e same bolts that secure] the knife ,or cutting. blade in place, except that I employ anauxiliary securing meansin the form of a small coun ters'uiili screw" the purpose: of whieh' is to holdfthelplate' in place when the knife securing bblts are'withdiiawn',

A further advantage rar me ee ofl the plate,1'5, is'thatit allowsme to set the blade or knife with its cutting edge atan which is desirable" when using a plate the form of a' parallelegrzim, as inthe afore saiaprier'patene To 'make sucli a knife strong enough to holdland not break:

at the before mentioned weak point, A,,-said blade or knife"woiild have to be made two or three nches ,w der than I now requ re, and I cannot set a knife or cutting blade of the width just mentioned on, an angle, there-- fore, the plate, 15, allows nieito narrowthe knjife so; that I can obtain a shearing-cut whenfdesired over a straight cutting bar,

s'tead'ofsetting" thekn fe straight. which would require it'to make a straightbut."

Itjwillalso be noted from ,4, that the cutting head' f the spider is recessed or Thisplate I; prefer to call: for the' spider head and it is so mounted that it may be readily remev d" d r p d b L n vtr te when desired; ,Practice has shown that the point where this plate is set into the spider head issubjected to an excessive amount of wear and consequently the usual spider-head is Often SQbadly worn and damaged at sa id point as to require its abandonment and replacement by an entire new spider, which is an expensive procedure In thepresent in-.v ta c ep ra e P e; 2 v a sa p. t ir. a. the P n ent p d nd W QIi-t 6 we b sba y W or b o en; t may be readily removed and a new plate substituted with butislight expense. q The plate, 21', is held place by aheadedboljbgg, pa g .t ue' it; n th j h thepid h a' a .eppes e 6 is se u ed -by a iiiit, 23, or. other well known securing means,'as indicated.iri Figsil and 4'. p I The foregoing improvements are .of a practical character and are the result of ex; tensive use with the cutter heads of ma chines of the characterbefore n0t'e'd,v an d said improvements simplify the cutter head construction and reduces the cost of repairs to' a'iniinin uni. V E i H p e 1111s deee bedi y nven i rivhat I clairri' aslnew and desire to'sec'ure by Let 1'. A' rotary mae ta ing a spider-head provided witha rabbeted seat, a plate ree rab y s emed to a d. s at ge g: blade adjustably mounted onsaid platenand sides adapted to labut thelsides, of the blades and'tore'inforce the si'degportions thereof,

between the slets and. side edges of said plate or W M 2'- ota y eut r i aalli in ia 11 1 rality' of arms with, spidereheads at the outer. ends thereof, said l ea dsg having: rabbeted if i P 3 119 f l gl the ra l; c of eaeh of said headsQmearis ,foi rem'ovably, S a i sth Plate t .sai t eadi a w ine e's a df pon, the Pla and-having ape.- Iiiifr t e d s; a Plate aYiesl i e o salong its sides adaptedto reinforce the,side, par n f t b.1 le,-.b.etWeeu. hejslotsf. and ide s; and be ts[ g sa da a d. pa S l-thre sh th Plate and e i d eh and thereby seeuring the blade and plat e to th Pi F iMa u 1 3. A' rotary cutter, having a spider-head with a rabhetedfade, -,a removablelplate ,sec-i 4. A rotary cutter, having a spider-head rabbeted on its forward face, a cuttingblade adjustably secured to another face of the spider-head, and a removable Wear-plate 5 secured to the rabbeted front face of said head just under the cutting surface of the blade.

5. A rotary cutter, having a spider-head rabbeted on its forward face, a cuttingblade adjustably secured to another face of 10 the spider-head, a separate Wear-plate secured t0 the rabbeted front face of said head just under the cutting surface of the blade, and a securing bolt extending through said plate and spider-head for securing this plate 15 in place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LESTER B. SHAMBLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissloner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

